YALSA Cultural Competence Taskforce

The YALSA Cultural Competence Taskforce builds on the work of the earlier Diversity Taskforce. Our mission over the next year is to help you learn how to incorporate cultural competence into your everyday work, and to increase the relevance and value of our libraries as partners in our communities. Please also visit the new Cultural Competence page for additional resources. Members of the Taskforce will be regularly updating the Cultural Competence page to include links and information and we encourage you to add your own links and resources as well.

Kim Dare, 2014-2015 Chair

Serving African American Teens

The Black Caucus of the American Library Association serves as an advocate for the development, promotion, and improvement of library services and resources to the nation's African-American community, and provides leadership for the recruitment and professional development of African-American librarians.

Collection Development/ContentCuration

Coretta Scott King Award: given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values.

CrazyQuilt is a blog that began in 2006 promotes literacy for teens of color. The blog lists young adult books written by Native Americans and people of color and also contains interviews, book reviews and other resources.

Hypelit.com, is a website featuring literature, programs, and resources for teens, librarians, and educators.

John Steptoe New Talent Award: established to affirm new talent and to offer visibility to excellence in writing and/or illustration, which otherwise might be formally unacknowledged, and to encourage the artistic expression of the African American experience via literature and scholarly research, including biographical, historical and social history treatments by African Americans.

Serving Asian/Pacific American Teens

APALA (Asian Pacific American Librarians Association) actively serves the Asian/Pacific American teenage population and recognizes the need to disseminate valuable information on Asian/Pacific American teens. APALA offers a listserv to its members where there is access to recommendations in regards to teen literature and programming.

Asian/Pacific Collection Development / Content Curation

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature: APALA gives a yearly award for excellence in Asian/Pacific American young adult literature. The literary awards committee, comprised of various professionals in the field of young adult library services, is dedicated to selecting awarded titles.

Reports & Research

Serving Chinese American Teens

CALA is an ALA affiliated ethnic caucus organization that was founded in 1973. The organization objectives include enhancing communication among Chinese American librarians as well as between Chinese American librarians and other librarians, serving as a forum for discussion of mutual problems and professional concerns among Chinese American librarians, promoting Sino-American librarianship and library services, and providing a vehicle whereby Chinese American librarians may cooperate with other organizations having similar or allied interests.

Serving GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender) Teens

GLBTRT The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Roundtable site has many links to help you serve your GLBT teens. Below are some of these links described in detail. In addition, the GLBTRT list serve is open to both members and non-members. To become a member, just add the GLBTRT to your membership when renewing your annual ALA dues.

GLBT Collection Development / Content Curation

To help with GLBT Collection Development, the GLBTRT created a bibliography of resources that would be helpful to use with your GLBT teens.

Rainbow Book List: Lists of fiction and non-fiction books to help librarians working with GLBT children and young adults.

Stonewall Book Award: sponsored by the GLBTRT, and is given annually for books that have "exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgendered experience."

Resources

Oasis Magazine: An online writing community for teens with journals and poetry.

Live Out Loud: Organizes panel discussions for GLBT youth with "men and women in the gay community who are passionate and powerful in their life’s work, who are making a difference in the community and who are interested in sharing their story with LGBT youth." Live OutLoud also offers educational scholarships to GLBT youth who "take charge" of their lives.

Serving Hispanic Teens

REFORMA (The National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking) was established in 1971. Developing "Spanish language and Latino oriented library collections" is just one of their many goals. One of REFORMA's committees is CAYASC (the Children & Young Adult Services Committee). The CAYASC site offers many links that will help you better serve your Hispanic teens. Below are some of these links described in more detail. In addition, the REFORMA list serv is open to all members, with many topics on Hispanic issues posted daily. You do not need to speak Spanish to become a member.

Collection Development / Content Curation

To help with Latino Collection Development, REFORMA's CAYASC created a bibliography of YA titles that would be popular with your Hispanic teens.

REFORMA sponsors the annual Pura Belpre Award. The award is "presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth." The Pura Belpre Book Award is co-sponsored by ALSC (the Association for Library Service to Children).

What works for Latino Youth: a report compiled by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, offers many resources for reaching Latinos. The section for Middle & High School Latino teens runs from page 16-29, while the Youth portion is found on pages 33-39. There are also Community resources on pages 49-63. Each site includes a program description, services offered, as well as contact information.

En Tu Biblioteca: This web site from ALA has Spanish language resources for both librarians and for library users, including free downloadable materials

Latinoteca: contains information on Latino Art, Music, Literature and History.

Request for a Library Card (.pdf) --print and distribute this flier to agencies in your community that serve Spanish speaking immigrants and refugees. Not sure who in your community is serving immigrants and refugees? Visit this web page and type in your zip code and topic: http://youth.gov/map-my-community

Youth Awards (for high school seniors from the Hispanic Heritage Foundation)

Serving Native American Teens

Collection Development / Content Curation

American Indian Youth Literature Awards: Identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians. Books selected to receive the award will present American Indians in the fullness of their humanity in the present and past contexts.

American Indians in Children's Literature. Established in 2006, American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) provides critical perspectives and analysis of indigenous peoples in children's and young adult books, the school curriculum, popular culture, and society. Scroll down for links to book reviews, Native media, and more.

Organizations

AILA was founded in 1979 in conjunction with the White House Pre-Conference on Indian Library and Information Services on or near Reservations. The American Indian Library Association, an affiliate of the American Library Association, is a membership action group that addresses the library-related needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives. AILA holds business meetings twice a year in conjunction with the American Library Association and publishes the American Indian Libraries Newsletter quarterly.

Serving Teens who are New Americans

New Americans may be immigrants or refugees, and each of these groups may need different services and resources from the library. Per the Migration Policy Institute, the US admits about 70,000 immigrants and refugees per year. Of those, 46% of immigrants are Hispanic or Latino. The next largest group of immigrants come from Iraq, Burma, and Bhutan. A smaller wave of immigrants is also coming from Somalia, Cuba, Iran, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. Immigrants account for about 13% of the overall US population.

Request for a Library Card (.pdf) --print and distribute this flier to agencies in your community that serve Spanish speaking immigrants and refugees. Not sure who in your community is serving immigrants and refugees? Visit this web page and type in your zip code and topic: http://youth.gov/map-my-community